Afterlife
by SinisterShadows
Summary: The first time Rose and Mason see each other after his death. "But she did have a blemish; an emotion that showed in her eyes. If only she would smile…" Previously called Your Eyes Don't Lie. Mentioning of romance.
1. Your Eyes Don't Lie

**An: Hey, this is my first Vampire Academy fanfiction. I'm not sure if it is possible but I had to write it anyway. Mason was my favorite character. Oh, well, enjoy.**

Your Eyes Don't Lie

The feeling was like when your foot falls asleep; tingles run up and down it making you shiver but at the same time you feel like your leg is numb. That's what it was like when I came to my senses. It was like half of me was asleep; numb. But at the same time, I felt tugging; as if someone was pulling me from one side but I was weighted down so I would not go anywhere.

I looked around, wondering why all of these things were the way they were. Trees lined the small clearing where I was standing. The dark brown of the bark contrasted the slushy snow on the ground.

I wondered if they shared the same feeling as I did; the feeling of numbness. Did they feel like me? Did they feel the unpleasant pull from an invisible figure?

I put my hand on an old oak tree and realized that it was different than it usually was… or at least I thought it was different. Something inside told me that something was wrong. But I could not place it.

My hand seemed paler than usual. It mimicked the distinction between the dark bark of the trees against the snow. The pallid color was disturbingly unhealthy.

I could feel my head tilt to the side in curiosity.

At the same time, my hand was giving off an eerie glow. It was faint but bright enough for it to be noticed and make a difference.

I was a recognizable stranger.

Curiosity led me to my surroundings once more. The trees were swaying slightly in the wind but standing tall and strong, the darkness swallowing and filling in the holes of light between the buildings.

Buildings?

But there were buildings. Tall ones that were like the trees. Always powerful and they seemed to have been there for a long time. They had seen many things.

The sight of them sent off an alarm in my mind. Something I should remember. Something that was important. I tried my best to recall where I had seen the numerous colonies of structures but there was nothing there. No memories whatsoever. Nothing; only darkness; shadows.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the small alleys between the large establishments. I could feel the vibrations in my skull they were so loud.

Moments later, the reason behind the noise came into view. It was a girl; a teenage girl; a girl with beautiful hair that reflected the glow of the moon; skin that was flawless. She was perfection. There was no other way of describing her as she darted with graceful movements over to one of the buildings.

But she did have a blemish; an emotion that showed in her eyes. It was a strong feeling; one that reeked of grief. What was making this girl so miserable? She needed to find happiness, some sort of peace… I shook my head at her.

If only she would smile…

Then it hit me; a lone memory of a beam so bright, so stunning, so blissful… a grin free of sorrow.

It was the girl; the same one that I was watching now.

I moved toward her a step; I wanted to find out more about this girl. She had obviously been part of my life somehow before… before what?

That question I could not answer.

She must have seen me take the step because she whirled around, her wild hair fanning in a perfect arch around her head, and stopped, frozen to the spot. The girl looked at me. Her expression was a strange one. It included many emotions; depression; grief; confusion; curiosity; shock.

This last emotion puzzled me. Why was she feeling shock? She was only a girl? Just a normal girl that obviously had some sort of problems. Nothing that I should worry about. I should just let her go… the words rung in my head like church bells.

Seconds later my mind added a few more words.

"Let her go, or I'll kill you."

Why were these words so familiar?

I kept watching the girl. Then it hit me. Rose, Spokane and… death.

I had said those words. I had said those words to the Strigoi. It had been me this girl was grieving over. My death.

I rubbed the back of my neck subconsciously.

Everything was coming back; all the memories of that night, and the days of the torture of sitting in that small room with the others.

Rose had survived. She was strong, she was like the trees. She was not like me and neither were the trees. They were proud, and strong.

I was weak… and death had claimed me.

She had changed dramatically. The wild, untamable spirit had fled from her eyes. Rose was like me in that way. But we could never be the same. I was only a memory; a swift reminder of the past that brought guilt and fear and shadows. She was always going to be bright. She would get over me. Rose would move on, where I could not. She would leave me behind… and for the most part I wanted her to. Although a small, selfish part of me wanted her to remember me always. How I had been her friend, how I had loved her and how I had tried to save her.

We both had changed… and we would remain that way and I knew it. Especially for Rose; she would remain that way even through all of the smiles she gave, and all of the jokes she told and all of the musical laughs she had.

I looked and the sorrow-filled eyes told me I was right.

You can fool people with your striking smile and wildly kind personality but your eyes don't lie Rose.

**An: I would appreciate it if you would review. I might keep going with this and do a few more of their meetings in Shadow Kissed, but this may stay as a one-shot. I would love it if you guys could tell me if you wanted more or not. **

**Thanks for reading! **


	2. The Struggle Within

**An: Hey! Thanks for the reviews! I wanted to thank iamaVAMPIRE and BookLoverEmma! I dedicate this chapter to them for all of their great support! This one did not come out the way I wanted it to, but I couldn't find the way to fix it. So here it is. Enjoy!**

The Struggle Within

She was trying to sneak into the dorms once more. Curfew had come and she was a bit behind all of the other rule-abiding dhampir's. But with Rose that was usually what happened. She thrived off of adventure; she sought after it. So different from me.

Rose turned around and found me with her eyes. She saw that I had my hands in my pockets like I used to do all of the time in my life. Sorrow exploded in her brown orbs as I did this. It must have reminded her that I had died. How could I forget?

She faced me, confidence in her face shadowing the fear and grief in her eyes. It seemed as if she had grown older. In only a short couple of weeks she had aged. The only sign of this again in her eyes, as always. She never showed anything in her face.

"Well," Rose spoke aloud. She seemed tranquil even though I knew she was suffering inside. I knew her like that. Not many people did. Lissa and I did know her. I was surprised that the number was so many; she had a knack for letting people in and then pushing them away.

"Glad to see you're alone again. I didn't really like the extras on the plane."

She was faking. Rose was relieved that the others were there; true enough, but she conveyed another message. She was struggling to hide her emotions. Her emotions of misery. There was a sharp shooting of pain in my heart as I realized that I had caused her this pain… if I had only listened to her.

She broke through my thoughts with her melodious voice. "What are you? Are you real? Am I going crazy?"

My heart ached for her. She thought there was something wrong with herself mentally. There could never be something wrong with Rose. She was the perfect girl, with a fiery spirit. She was _my _perfect girl.

I nodded to her. There was nothing wrong with her. It was not her fault that she was experiencing these ghosts. She had never brought this upon herself.

"Which? Yes, you're real?" She feebly asked.

I was real. I wanted to be real. I wanted my life back. It had been taken away from me so soon. I had had so much with Rose.

I nodded to her again.

"Yes, I'm crazy?"

Her face was filled with anxiety. She was worried about being mentally ill? Tension filled her, I could see it. I could see it in the way she kept moving her hands and the way she stood; a bit hunched over instead of standing tall with confidence, like the normal Rose. I could read her, even in my death. This ability had not left me like many other things had.

I shook my head, feeling my once-orange locks spill into my face. I caught one between my fingers and studied it. The color had washed out. It was still orange, but it was more like a watered down orange. A color that was not full. A color that was not bright. A color that resembled the lack of care. Death does this to a person.

"Well, that's a relief, but honestly, what else would you say if you were a hallucination?" her voice was wavering.

She was breaking down. Rose Hathaway was breaking down. How could this happen? Where had her confidence gone? It was like she had lost her emotional rock. Did I mean that much to her? I was only a friend. Did she feel the same way, the same love that I felt for her? Still in death I felt these things; not as strong, but they were there, as if someone had turned off the lights all save for a small glow stick that showered every surface in a calming blue light.

"Why are you here? Are you mad at us and looking for revenge?"

I was wrong. She was guilty. She did not love me at all. I felt another pain in my heart, although this one was for myself. Rose did not love me. I was only a friend. I was only a happy face in her world of loveliness. I was a pebble compared to her rock.

I shook my head. The tension that had risen in her eyes slowly seeped away. I could almost feel her relax from my spot several feet away from her. Guilt was a powerful thing. I felt it myself. If only I had saved her.

She shook her head slightly and I stray locks of hair flip over her shoulder. I had once touched them. I had once tried to love her. I had not tried hard enough.

"Is there more than that, though? Another reason why you keep coming to me?"

I nodded to her. It was the only way I could communicate. I had not mastered the art of speaking yet. I did not know if I could.

I pushed the thoughts of that night from my mind. Spokane. I was unworthy…

"What? What is it? What do I need to do?"

I was so unworthy that I could not tell her. I could not tell her that she was in danger. That she and Lissa, and Eddie and Christian and all of the others were in terrible danger.

I opened my mouth and tried to speak. Nothing came out so I tried harder. I strained, willing sound to come from my mouth. I willed the message to her in my mind.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I don't understand… and I'm sorry for everything else."

No wonder I had died. I was unworthy of her. I was unworthy of her love. I was unworthy of life.

Frustration filled me. I could not convey this simple message! The anger filled the hole in my heart with ice.

I looked at her once more. Her eyes were the windows to her soul. They were filled with longing, sadness, and confusion. She wanted to know what I had to say.

I noticed a tear fall out of her eye. It ran down her face, her smooth skin, unblemished and soft. How I longed to be the one to wipe it away, to tell her that everything was going to be fine.

I had her sympathy, but I was unworthy. I tore my eyes away from her frail form. My heart barely beating as the ice inside consumed me.

I had deserved to die.

**An: Thanks for reading! **

**Review?**


	3. What Hurts the Most

**An: Here you go! This is number three! Thanks for all of the support and reviews on the last one! I love writing this! It just flows out! I don't have to try! It just comes! **

What Hurts the Most

This time she was with someone else. And something had changed.

A positive energy was coming off of Rose. She was happy. And she was smiling, something I had not seen her do since before I had died.

It was nice to see her smile. She should do it more often. When she smiled, it seemed like her whole face lit up. It could lighten up any darkness; make anyone feel better, even if it was only the slightest bit.

But why was she like this? Why, after weeks and weeks of sorrow and grief, had she changed? Had a switch flipped, just like snapping your fingers and everything was ok? Or had it been something gradual that I had missed over the last few weeks.

I had been trying to make her understand how much danger she was in. But she was happy, that made up for something, right?

I looked next to her and searched her companion with my eyes. He was familiar, tall, dark, and handsome enough. But something was screaming at me that he was some sort of enemy. I could not recall where he had been placed in my former life… so I ignored him. That is until I saw how close they were and that they were holding hands.

Something shattered in me. All of this time…

Before I could finish the thought, however, she shivered. Her hair moving just the slightest bit and there was a slight ripple to her skin as if the shiver had been substantial… as if she was glad to see me. But that was not it. She had _him_ now.

"What's wrong?" The man asked her, a puzzled expression on his face. I knew he could not see me, so that explained the confusion.

"Do you see him?" She whispered. Rose subconsciously moved closer to him, as if he could protect her from me. What was left of my heart splintered and then slowly broke apart.

"See who?" The man questioned. I could see in his eyes that he was worried about her. He had something that I could feel mirrored in my own eyes; love.

"Mason," she said my name breathily as if it took her too much energy to say it properly. She knew I was there and she did not want me near her anymore. That hurt, it hurt so much. All of this time she must have thought I was a fool, running after her expressing my feelings of undying love. Rose must have thought I was a child… I was compared to Dimitri.

Frustration, anger and hurt rose in me like a lion. It started to edge it's way to controlling me. I was such a fool. Such an idiot to believe that she felt the same way. Throughout all of it she had been with him.

I wanted to attack him. I wanted to make him feel like I was feeling. She was mine, I loved her, and no one could feel the same way I did about her. No one loved her more than I do. He could not take her away from me.

I took a breath. This was not what I had come for. I had not come to her to attack her new man. I had come for a reason. I had to concentrate.

"Rose… we should go back…" he spoke again and my temper flared like a roaring fire.

He had no right to tell her what to do! I was trying to save her life, and by doing this it would save his, and he wanted her to go away!

Don't listen to him Rose! Don't go away with him! Stay with me…

It was almost as if I had spoken the words aloud because she froze. She watched me with a curious expression.

My anger towards Dimitri immediately died to embers when she looked at me. She was worried. Rose wanted to understand. She was making the effort, so I had to too.

I had not realized it before now, but she had taken a couple of steps towards me… as if trying to get closer so she could understand. Even though she did this out of curiosity, a happy surge of energy filled me. She wanted me right now instead of him. She did not need him…

"What, what is it?" her voice was small, but the way she said those four words made me feel something, something that felt like gluing the pieces of my heart back together, slowly.

I tried again.

I lifted my hand and pointed to the other side of campus.

They are there! Go there! I tried the technique of mentally speaking once more. They are coming for you!

Her head tilted to the side saying that she still was confused. If the situation was better than I would have said that she was adorable. But this was not the time. She needed to know and she needed to know now.

I became frustrated by this! Understand!

She moved closer to me. Only a step, but one step made all of the difference. I could see her beautiful form willing to know what I needed her to understand. There was support in her eyes as she reached out and told me to try again.

By the time she spoke again, I was already ready to try one last time.

"Tell me."

I looked at Dimitri before I spoke. He made her happy, something I was never able to do and for that I would be eternally jealous for. I was not doing this for him… but for her beautiful face and her wonderful personality. I needed to save her and actually save her this time. If I did not I could never face myself again. I could never look at my washed out form and say that I was happy. I could never be happy again in the first place knowing that another man made her feel what I felt for her. A pang in my heart told me I was right.

I ignored it and then tried for my final time. If this did not work I would fail.

Opening my mouth, I willed sound to come and help me pass on the message.

"They're coming."

I had finally done it! She was going to be safe! She knew! Rose was still curious but she knew that they were coming to the school! I looked at Dimitri and immediately regretted it. The power of my temper shot back through me. It course through my veins and pumped my heart. This pain was unbearable.

Ever since I had died, I pondered the question of what was the worst thing, the worst pain of my life. Was it the physical pain of losing my life? Was it the mental pain? Was it the fact that I would never see my friends of family again? I had thought long and hard about this but, in this moment, the answer was so clear to me that it seemed to light up like a beacon in the darkness that was my soul.

No, all of these answers were wrong. Losing Rose was what hurt the most.

**An: I just want to give him a hug and not let go until he's happy again! This makes me so sad! **

**Thanks for reading! **

**Please tell me what you think! **


	4. Almost Easy

**An: Hey! Thanks everyone! This one was planned differently than it actually came out. It was supposed to be like the others but the emotion is more anger than anything else. So this is a bit different than all of the others. Not my favorite one. Ok, so here it is! Oh, before I go, I wanted to say thanks to all readers and reviewers, old and new!! Thanks a lot! You guys make this fun! **

"Mason, I need you."

I had heard her say it but I was too hurt to care. She did not know how many pieces she had torn my heart into when she brought _him_ along. When I finally understood that I meant nothing to her, there were no words to describe the pain. Embarrassment, for throwing myself at her when she had a man already, anger, for her not telling me before, sadness, because I had lost her. Misery, the sum of all of these things, the unhappy answer.

I heard her voice again.

"Mason. Please. Come here." She needed me. Would I go? No. Where was she when I told her that I loved her? Off thinking about some other guy! Where was she when I had needed her the most? Where was she when I warned her about what was coming? She was off _with_ another guy. Doing… That subject I did not breach. I did not even want to think about what she had been doing.

… But I went anyway. Something about the way she said my name lessened my anger.

Rose was, of course, with him. I ignored him and searched her.

She was worried, I could tell. Her eyes were full of something that I had only seen when she was frightened about Lissa.

"Finally, you were making me look bad."

What, I making you look bad? Me making you feel pain? Join the club. The sarcastic lion that was my anger level had been unleashed. Everything she said now set it off.

"I'm sorry. I need your help again." It does not matter. That is all you want anyway. All this time you used me. All of this time you needed me for what I could do, not who I was. This was the last straw. You used me! How could I ever forgive that? Why would I help you after you never even _appreciated_ me? Was it so wrong to make someone else feel appreciated after everything they have done for you? Who stopped all of the nasty rumors that Jesse and Rolf were spreading about you? I did!

"We have to find them. We have to save Eddie."

Eddie.

A chord struck in my mind. How had I forgotten? Eddie was my best friend. I grimaced as the thought was processed. Had been, he had been my friend.

But he needed my help! He had not done anything wrong to me. She was the one I despised, that I loathed with all of my soul… yet there was still love. I could not figure it out, how this strange equation of emotions managed to equal each other. How could love and hate balance, when hate was the stronger emotion?

I nodded to her. For Eddie, not for her. He deserved it.

Rose was relieved. She exhaled a deep breath and then looked at Dimitri. He was as still as ever. What did she see in him? What did he have that I did not?

"Can you show them where they are?" Rose asked.

I nodded, ignoring my own thoughts of hatred and pointed to the back of campus. I stared at my hand and watched in fascination as it lightly lit up the ground beneath it. I would never be used to that.

"They came in through the back of campus?" She finally understood! It had taken weeks of silent conversations and games of charades.

I nodded once more.

Before I could start the game over again, she said something to Dimitri and he walked over to the guard on duty. As he spoke quietly with the guard, I looked over Rose.

She was still the same. Although, there was some foreign excitement that had entered her eyes and replaced the worry. Not all of it, but most of it. Her face was almost glowing. And knowing Rose like I did, she was probably planning her next plan of action.

He came back and stood next to her, brushing her arm swiftly. Did he do it purposely? Then handed her a map. What did they need a map for? I had shown them the way already!

"This is where they came in, isn't it? Where the wards first broke?" She pointed to a place on the map.

I leaned forward a bit to see what she was pointing at and immediately recognized the place.

I nodded to her. Eddie filled my mind once more, so before she could talk, I took my finger and traced the path on the map. I made sure that I did not touch the paper, however. I did not want to see what the results would be. Would my hand slip through the paper? Or would it not even be able to touch it? I did not want to find out; I just wanted to help Eddie by telling Rose. That was it.

"No, that's not right. It can't be. This stretch of woods by the mountain has no roads. They'd have to go on foot, and it'd take too long to walk from the school to this other road. They wouldn't have had enough time. They'd be caught in daylight."

I took a breath trying to control my temper. I was a red-head after all and everyone knows that they have an infamous temper.

She was questioning what I had been telling her for weeks! She had called me here just to listen to me, figure out what I had been trying to tell her to not believe it.

I shook my head. Rose needed to know.

Taking my finger, I pointed to a place on the map. They were there now!

Her face adorned a look of confusion. "They can't be there right now. It's outside! They might have come in through the back, but they had to have left through the front- gotten in some kind of vehicle and took off."

I felt like banging my head into a tree. All of this time, and she finally understood; only to find out that she actually had no idea what she was talking about… typical Rose.

I shook my head and tried to think of a different way of telling her.

She was frustrated. So was I. And if we did not work this out Eddie and the others would die! She needed to get over herself. I was keeping my anger in check, which was taking all of my energy especially with him here, the least she could do was the same!

Rose turned to Dimitri and demanded something. I did not hear the exact words because I was too busy appreciating the snippy voice she had talked to him with. Selfish of me, I know. But at this point I did not know which of them I was angrier with, him or her. He had swooped in and stolen Rose from me; taught her that loving him was all right. She had agreed and believed him. She left me for him.

I could feel my whole body shaking with anger. My temper had flared and was now out of control. If I did not do something I would definitely snap.

Dimirtri left and went back to the other guardians. He started to talk to them in hushed tones.

I disregarded him completely. He was only making things more difficult; current situation and _other_ situations.

I could feel her looking at me. Her stare was trying to see what I was thinking. I was not going to budge.

After a few minutes of her impenetrable stare, she gave up. Defeat was something that Rose did not take lightly. So when she spoke her tone was snappish.

"You better be right about this." She stated her voice flat but mad.

I nodded. I had had weeks to confirm this information. It was right. And how dare she believe that I was wrong! She had used to believe me. Had dying warped her judgment of me?

"Have you… have you seen them? The Strigoi and their captives?" The worry had returned. She was worried about Eddie dying. So was I. But I had died. She was not worried about me… at all?  
I nodded. The familiar sensation of cold filling my heart and this time my soul also. They hardened as she kept speaking.

"Is Eddie still alive."

Another nod.

Dimitri called her name and then explained that there were caves where I had shown them on the map.

"Are they big enough-"

"Big enough for the Strigoi to hide out in until night-time?" He nodded. "They are. And they're only five miles away."

They finally understood. My mission was complete.

Rose took one last look at me and then took off running with Dimitri.

No appreciation. Ever.

One thought came to me as I let the cold consume me, a grimace on my face. It was almost easy to hate them both.

**An: Please tell me what you think. Should I stay away from anger? I think I should. Anyway, reviews are appreciated! **


	5. Empty

**An: Oh my gosh! I love you guys! Thank you all so much for the reviews and alerts and such! They totally made my day! I love writing this and I love writing it for you guys! It's so much fun! I hope you enjoy this one! I also apologize because this one is a bit shorter than the previous one. The section in the book was really short so I tried to make it as long as I could. **

She was a mess. She was covered with what looked like a clean sheet of sweat and breathing deeply, as if the world was going to end. Rose was hysterical, that was the only word I could describe her as.

"Mason," I could almost hear a sob escape her lips but that had to be my imagination.

"Mason, I need you."

I could not ignore her. Not when she was like this. It seemed like all of my previous anger had vanished the moment she called my name. As if someone had pulled the plug on her emotional stability.

But she was not alone. No, the princess was with her… Lissa.

I had not known Lissa that well, but I had heard a lot about her, from Rose and from others. She was thin, like most Moroi were, with blonde hair that almost mirrored the sun. She stood with tall, with her back straight and her chin held high. An air of confidence was in her step.

If someone asked me what was the best characteristic of the princess was I would have said her eyes. They were a brilliant jade. A green that was not usually seen, but rare. Right now they held worry. Worry about what was happening and what was going to take place.

I turned my attention back to Rose. She seemed to be getting worse by the minute. She was pale, pale as the moon. Her dark hair contrasted her skin dramatically, like day and night. I could tell that she was holding back tears from the way she bit the side of her lip. She did that to keep it from wobbling.

I went to her.

I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that she would bring him up. She was going to ask what had happened to him. I did not know if I could inflict that kind of pain on her.

"Mason, is Dimitri dead?"

I paused, trying to decide if I should answer or not. She would soon discover the truth. Was it better that she found out now… or later?

Shaking my head, I could feel my heart start to crack. It was chipping and only holding together by splinters. If she broke down, I would follow. I would follow her as I had for my whole life.

The feeble voice was filled with anxiety. She was miserable. I could not take that. I had hated her for loving him, for not loving me. I had hated her for every ounce of pain that she had caused me. For every piece of ice I had to chip from my heart after I saw her; for every piece of my soul that I had to place together, like a puzzle.

It was gone. And depression had melted the ice and frozen my heart in a new way; a way that I had not thought possible until now.

"Is he alive?"

I could feel her shaking from where I was, feet away. She trembled and for once in my life I saw a side of Rose Hathaway that I had not realized existed; a mixture of fear and more importantly worry.

This was not something I had been expecting. I wanted to go to her. I wanted to hold her in my arms and squeeze her tight. I wanted to tell her that everything was going to be fine…

But I could not lie to her. No. Lying was worse. She would hate me forever. I could never live with myself if she did. I could feel that I would soon be leaving her behind… that is, until she…

I mimicked her and shivered. That was something I did not want to ever think about. A world without Rose was a world not living in.

I shook my head, finally answering her question and ending the ongoing debate in my mind.

It looked as if she had died.

Her face grew so pale that it was almost as pallid as mine. She could not stop the trembling. She was desperate.

I could see that Lissa was making an effort to not go to her side. She knew what her friend was going through, I could tell. Her eyes told all. But she struggled as she watched Rose, because she had to. She knew that Rose would not take being comforted kindly.

She had figured it out. Rose had. She knew what had happened to him. That was the only reason she could be like this. She wrapped her arms around her stomach as if she was holding herself together. As if knowing this information would tear her in two.

Rose took a breath. Tears streamed down her face. She could not stop them. She knew what had happened.

"Is he…" she choked out. "Is Dimitri a Strigoi?"

I hesitated. I had only one more chance to not destroy her world. I knew it would shatter; it would shatter along with my heart.

I would shatter from the pain she was experiencing. I would be destroyed by the fact that she did not love me… not at all. The force of this would nearly kill me again.

I slowly nodded, waiting for the reaction.

She fell to the ground, tears streaming from her eyes. It was killing me to watch. I could not do anything about it. I could not be her rock. I could not help her through this, make her smile. I had lost that freedom a while ago. Death came with the closing of that privilege.

I could almost hear the splinters break free. The pain was overwhelming. I almost fell to the ground, as Rose had. But I managed to keep from descending. Instead, I was plummeting to the worst pain I had ever experienced.

It seemed as if my whole body hurt. Everything shattered. Everything plunged into darkness. I felt hollow, as if I could not feel anymore. All emotions had left me. I was empty.

As I looked toward Rose, I saw that Lissa had finally resisted the urge to go to her side. She had her arms wrapped around her best friend and was murmuring things in her ear that were supposed to make her feel better.

But I saw the truth. This day would change us forever, Rose and I. We'd be connected because we had both suffered limitless pain. A part of our souls would forever be dead.

We were hollow. We had been torn apart by love and death.

I was empty. And as I watched Rose, I realized we would always be that way. We would always be empty.

**An: There you guys go! Another one will hopefully be up tomorrow! I' m thinking about two more chapters to this story. These will cover most of the important points in the whole Rose/Mason (while he's a ghost) relationship! Hopefully you guys will keep reading! Thanks for all of the support and tell me what you think! **


	6. Flipside

**An: Hey, thanks for all of the wonderful reviews and alerts! They are appreciated! **

**Nothing else to say here… so enjoy! **

I watched as she stepped through the gates of the academy. She was different. The past few weeks had certainly made her age. But she seemed to have a quality of cleverness about her, as if she had learned something very valuable over the short period of time.

She walked outside and then stopped. Her gaze met mine. Her eyes mostly unreadable, but I could detect confidence, sadness, and what seemed like determination. She was on a mission. Rose would finish whatever she went out to do, that was just in her personality.

"Mason," I heard her and tried to go to her. It was harder, as if the person pulling on my form had now attached a fifty pound weight to my ankle but was still succeeding to tug me from afar.

It took a couple of moments, but I went to her. I stood in front of her but not so close. I had purposely left at least two or three feet between us.

"It's time, isn't it? You're going… you're finally moving on to…" She paused. She and I had no idea where I was going... but was obvious that she was not going to be there. The thought made a section of my heart hurt. I had been able to help her and by doing that see her. I had no idea what I was going to do when I could not see her anymore. Would I crave her beauty? Would I miss her fiery personality? As for the first I was not quite sure, but the second I was positive about. I would miss her always. From her sarcastic tones, to her gorgeous brown hair, to her breath-taking smile, I would never forget her.

Her comment also made me think of something else.

I took my hand and raised it to a level that I could look at it. My gaze swept over it and discovered that it was almost transparent. I could almost see the ground through my hand.

It was so different from when I had come to this ghostly state. Then, I was a pale phantom, stuck in a world of strife and shadows. But I had been a solid ghost… if that made any sense. I had not been able to look through my hand at the ground beneath me.

I nodded. It was indeed time for me to go. I would miss her. I would miss her with all of my heart. She had been my only love when I had been blessed with life. Rose was the only one I let my heart belong to. She had not returned my feelings but that was all right. Now I saw it. If she was happy… so was I.

"It's been more than forty days, so I guess you're overdue. I'm glad…" She choked back what sounded like a sob and then took a breath. I could see that her eyes were a bit glassy, as if she was holding back tears. But, if that was so, why was she not biting her lip?

And then there it was. She bit down on her lower lip hard. I could smell the blood, but I ignored it as her sweet voice lured me in.

"I mean… I hope you find peace. Although I kind of hoped you'd be able to lead me to him…"

There was no question on who she was talking about. She wanted to find him and what? Tell him to come back? That was out of the question. I was surprised in the first place that she was trying to find him…

Unless…

I shook my head. She was going to try to find him… and kill him. She was on her own, but I did not want her to be. It would be easier if it were not my time to go. I could look after her and spend more time with her. But the pull on my body told me otherwise.

"It's okay. You deserve your rest." It was almost as if she could read me like a book, or as well as I could read her.

"Besides, I think I know where to start looking." A stray tear worked its way down her cheek. It wound, like a river, down and around until it slipped off of her chin and disappeared into the brown soil beneath her.

I wanted to tell her that everything was all right but I could not. If she was going to find him and kill him, how could I? It would only end in tears. But she would not budge if I tried to get her to return to the academy. She would not stand for it. This was something that I could tell she had to do; the determination in her eyes told me that.

She would be all right, I assured myself. She's one of the best novices; no… she probably is the best novice. She could take care of herself.

Rose had been my everything. She had been my training partner before she left the academy, my best friend, and my true love. Nothing would ever change that, my soul implied that for me.

My heart was tearing apart. I would miss her always. She was my rock, my emotional one. She had always been there for me. That I would never forget.

"Goodbye," More tears had followed the first one and others had carved their own paths on her other cheek. She was beautiful. Her face red… red like a rose.

"Thanks for your help… I…" She lost it. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She could not say it but I knew that she meat it.

"I'll miss you." She had said it. Then she did the most wonderful thing. She gave me a smile. A beautiful smile, that was as amazing as the rising sun and as pretty as the glow of the moon. A smile that was completely and truly breathtaking. I felt my heart glue its pieces back together so quickly and so thoroughly that I knew it would not break again. Not for anyone, no besides Rose. She had stolen my heart, all of it, and she could never give it back. But that was all right, I wanted her to have it.

This was the last time I ever saw Rose Hathaway. But the last memory was the best, the greatest, the most powerful and the one that meant the most to me. I would never forget that smile; that smile full of love, passion, friendship; the smile that seemed to sum up our relationship so quietly and so fully.

They say that smiling is contagious, or maybe that is laughter. I don't know. All that I knew was that I was trying to smile back at her. I felt some of my old mischievous spark flow back into me for just a moment.

I looked at Rose and I knew that she would feel the same way about our last memory.

Well, Rose… there was only one thing I could say to her that could sum up this moment with a small dose of my old humor.

I'll see you on the _flipside_.

**An: There you guys have it! Okay, this is going to be a bit strange. The last chapter I write actually comes before the first chapter(Your Eyes Don't Lie). So I will try to put it in front of the other chapters, but if I don't succeed I want you to know that it comes before! **

**Thanks for reading!! **

**Review? **


	7. HeroHeroine

**An: Well, this is the last one… ********. I really enjoyed writing this and I'm sad that it's over! I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thanks to all who read, reviewed and alerted this story or me as an author! That means a lot! So I hope you enjoy this last one! **

**Disclaimer: I know, I have not had one of these yet, so… here it is. I just wanted to remind everyone that this is in Frostbite Not Shadow-kissed. This comes before all of the other ones. Also, there is not a lot of Rose in this one because I figured Mason's death and his feelings were more important to describe. So to all of your Rose fans I am sorry! **

She had told me to lead the others to safety and to leave her behind. But the only problem was that I could not. I could not leave her to fight two Strigoi by herself. She could get hurt or worse killed…

I crept slowly back to the building. Once I slipped by a window unnoticed, I heard the female cry out to her fellow Strigoi. "Isaiah, just kill her already. If you'd done is sooner like I said, none of this would have happened."

She was working into my plans without realizing it. She was distracting herself and Isaiah. This was a good thing.

I carefully crept around the building and over to the front door. She was in there. I had to save her. I had to concentrate. All of my schooling and training would be proven at this moment. I knew I had what it took to save Rose. Well… she had a lot more than I did so probably just to help her out.

I could almost feel the glare of Isaiah burn into the female. The tension inside was thick; it could be cut with a knife.

The growl came moments later. "Do not interrupt me."

This was perfect. I would slip in and surprise them. With Rose's help, I would finish them off and then… what? Whisk her into the sunset like a fairytale hero? I pondered this for a moment. No… I would be a new type of hero. A new type of hero that would help the heroine, then whisk her off into the sunset. Rose was capable of holding her own.

"You're being overdramatic," the female was speaking once more. "And wasteful."

I stepped over a small rock and then sidled up against the building. There was not much more to go until I hit the door; maybe two or three feet.

"Don't talk back to me either." Isaiah snapped. I could hear the power of his words in my skull. They made my skull vibrate with the force.

I was at the door. I took a deep breath and then saw something blocking the light. It was the gun that Rose had had earlier.

The whiny voice came back soon enough and cut the vibrations out of my mind. "I'm _hungry_. I'm just saying you should…"

I made my entrance like a hero. I had confidence laced in my words and so much threat that I sounded angry.

"Let her go, or I'll kill you."

The male Strigoi stared at me for a couple of moments. I took this time to size up the scene before me.

Isaiah held one of Rose's forearms in his hand. He had a grip that seemed to be deathly. His hand would have to be removed by force. That was what I was here for. The female was a few feet away from Rose and Isaiah. Her eyes screamed that they were hungry, violent… lethal.

Isaiah however, had an expression of boredom in his eyes. How he could be bored with this situation I did not know.

I slid my gaze to Rose and my heart was squeezed a little. She was trying to squirm out of Isaiah's grasp but to no avail. She kept struggling like a fly would when it is stuck in a spider's web. The fly would be helpless. Looking at her eyes gave me another message. Her beautiful eyes yelled at me. They screamed at me to leave her… like I had promised. But she had not seen what I had done I had made sure of it…

As I looked over the room, I remembered that I still had the gun in my hand. I clenched it and then loosened my clutch on the gun as a warning. Nothing was going to scare me… not two Strigoi, not ten.

My gaze worked it back to Isaiah's appearance of tediousness. He yawned and then said in a dreary voice, "Sure, try it."

I took the opportunity without hesitation. The gun was up and firing bullets into the middle of his chest before anyone could oppose.

I started to count the bullets that came out of the gun… one…. two… three but soon after that, the anger I had towards the two Strigoi was unleashed inside of me. They had the nerve to take Rose away from me… and then fool with her, like some toy. Well, she was not a toy, she was a dhampir and she would certainly kill them both if given the chance.

I threw the gun out of range when I discovered that it was not firing anymore.

I looked to Isaiah and realized that the scene was not how I had planned. He was irritated; irritated beyond all belief. But there was no going back now. It was time for a new plan of action. It was time for the hero to help the heroine.

"Get out!" I froze for one moment. Rose had screamed this at me. She wanted me to leave her behind; leave her to die.

I would not let her sacrifice herself. Never. I planned my next move quickly. Before I had decided what was right, I launched myself out of the light; the only thing that had been protecting me.

Rose immediately started to struggle more. She twisted and squirmed until I thought that it was almost impossible for Isaiah to still hold her arm. But still he kept his grip on her arm, with a look that said that it was as if he was not even trying.

Her eyes were wild. They were filled with anger and hate but also with a touch of fear. Her hair whipped around her as she tried to thrash about to her freedom. Her leg shot out as she tried to land a kick to one of Isaiah's legs.

It all happened too fast for me to see and process it. If I had the chance to do it over again I would have done it differently, no questions asked. But when someone you love is being threatened with her life, your heart makes you do the strangest things, like rush into lethal fights without thinking about the consequences. Instead, it makes you feel like a hero, an invincible hero that will come out victorious in the end and save the day… like in the fairytales…

Not this time…

Rose was pushed into the female Strigoi by Isaiah. I had not reached her yet so I kept running, trying to save her. Trying to save the one I loved from a terrible fate. I did not realize that this would backfire and make me suffer even more than I had imagined.

I felt hands on me and I realized they were Isaiah's. They had rested on the grooves of my neck. I was puzzled. Why there. My question was soon answered. I felt him twist his hands. There was immediate pain, pain of the worst kind. It was so horrible that I wished for it to be over.

But nothing compared to the ache in my heart as I realized what was happening.

I was dying…

I had failed Rose. I had failed to be her hero. She was my heroine and she was worth dying for.

One of the last things I remember was her face. Yes, it was horrified; twisted and contorted into an expression of ever-lasting shock; something I had never seen present in her features before now.

I would miss her. Miss her with all of my heart. I would love her forever. My love would always be strong and true.

Everything shattered as my vision blurred. My breathing was slowing down.

I hit the ground of the room with a small thud but did not even realize it.

I could hear someone rushing over to me, in my last moments, and I thought it was Rose. When I felt her hand touch my cheek I knew it was.

I had to tell her. I needed to tell her before I died. There were many things I wanted to tell her like, "I love you," and "I'm sorry I failed you," but she needed to know the truth.

"Rose," I tried to mumble it so that she could hear me. I did not know if she could or not so I went on. I wanted to tell her before I died.

"Rose, I lied. When you told me that I needed to leave you I crossed my fingers behind my back. I could not leave you behind… I love you too much…"

I did not know if she heard me, but it was out. The truth had been told. I had lied and been killed for it. A just punishment I suppose.

I could not even see Rose anymore. But I knew she was there. I was not alone. That made things just a bit better for me.

They say dying for love is noble, and I never believed that until my last moments came.

As I fought to remain conscious I thought of something. The thought pulled through my mind like molasses. It was harder and harder to process my thoughts.

I failed to be your hero, but I will always love you… my heroine…

**An: I like this one. Anyway, all of the inspiration for this story came from you guys and also some great songs! I might put up a playlist for this but most of the songs have absolutely nothing to do with what the chapters were written about… so maybe not. It'd be great if you all would let me know about that. **

**And with this being the last chapter I have to say thanks, I know I'm repetitive but whatever. Thanks a lot! **

**I will hopefully be writing another story soon. I really want to do one about Adrian; he's becoming one of my favorite characters with his charm. I have an idea but I have to kick it around in my head a little bit longer to figure out if it's worth doing. Are you guys interested? Hmmm…. Oh well. Thanks! **


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